As I pondered the title for this blog, my mind wandered back to my first trip to Arequipa, Peru. From that initial visit to my most recent, I’ve noticed how much times have changed. The world is constantly evolving, and it’s important to remember that things will never be the same as they once were. This is one of the biggest takeaways we need to consider, especially after the last three years and the pandemic. Time marches on, and so do our lives, from one chapter to the next. Sometimes these chapters are good, and sometimes they are not. But with the grace of God, especially for us Christians, and our firm faith in God and healthy prayer life, things always seem to work out for our good some way.
(Rom 8:26-28 TPT)
And in a similar way, the Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words. God, the searcher of the heart, knows fully our longings, yet he also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, his holy ones, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny. So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.
The scripture above is one of the most misunderstood and misquoted verses in the Bible. People often quote only verse 28, which reads, ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ However, I learned the truth of this scripture at a young age, when I was going through a rough patch in my life. As I read and meditated on verses 26-28, a great revelation rose up in my spirit as I read the word ‘and.’ This conjunction connects what Paul was saying in the previous two verses. All things work together for us when we allow the Holy Spirit to pray with and through us. This is the secret of things working out for our good. To put it another way, verses 26 and 27 must happen first before verse 28 can come into reality.
(Rom 8:26 KJV) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
The Greek word “helpeth” means “to take hold with at the side, hence, to take a share in, generally to help” 1. Therefore, if we are not praying, especially if we are not praying in the spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn’t have any way to take hold with us against anything unless we initiate the process. If we want things to work out for our good, we must follow this process as we go from one chapter to the next, as our lives change in a changing world. This process involves praying in the spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to pray with and through us, and taking the initiative to cooperate with Him. By doing so, we can be assured that all things will work together for our good.
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